


Locked out, Before the barbecue, Falconers POV

by JustLookFrightenedAndScuttle



Series: Locked Out [4]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: M/M, brief discussion of coming out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-28 00:21:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17172290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustLookFrightenedAndScuttle/pseuds/JustLookFrightenedAndScuttle
Summary: Takes place immediately before the barbecue inChapter 4of Locked Out.





	Locked out, Before the barbecue, Falconers POV

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place immediately before the barbecue in [Chapter 4](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15807630/chapters/37517390#workskin) of Locked Out.

“So tell us about the guy, Tater.”

Marty sipped his beer and sat back in a deck chair, eyes more or less fixed on the little girls, who were jumping into the shallow end of the pool over and over.

“You think he’s good for Jack?” Thirdy asked, stretching his legs on the chair next to Marty’s. “Or is he going to mess with his head?”

“Not for me to say,” Tater said. “If Jack likes him, then it’s up to him, yes?”

“Of course,” Marty said, glancing quickly at Thirdy. “Jack’s a grown up and he can make his own decisions. But things have been rough for him before. We’re just looking out for him.”

Tater thought back to the one time he met Eric, baking and cooking in Jack’s kitchen, and looking a little terrified when he opened the door to find Tater on the other side.

“He’s nice, I told you,” Tater said. “And he makes good food.”

“We know that,” Marty said. “We all had that pie. That should have been our first clue. Not like Jack to bring sweets in.”

“He made me my own blueberry pie,” Tater said, preening a little. “It was delicious.”

“No way, man, you didn’t share?” Thirdy said. “You shouldn’t eat that much by yourself.”

“I save it,” Tater said. “One piece at a time. And I did share it, just not with you.”

“Share what?” Poots said, dropping a towel on the deck and stripping off his T-shirt. “That pie? It was amazing.”

Tater smirked at Thirdy as Poots jumped in the pool.

“You gave some to _Poots?”_ Thirdy said. “And not me?”

“Let’s get back on the subject,” Marty said. “What do you think this guy is after? Money? Does he want a famous boyfriend? Because I don’t know if Jack is ready to come out.”

“You had some pie too,” Tater said, because it wasn’t fair for Thirdy to just blame him for not sharing.

“You too?” Thirdy said. “How did I not get any?”

“You weren’t here,” Marty said. “And Poots only brought home two slices.”

“The other one was for Gabby,” Tater said. “You mean to take pie from your wife.”

“She was on a diet!” Marty said.

“Not what she said,” Tater said.

“Never mind,” Thirdy said. “Let’s talk about more important things, like how do I get on the pie list?”

“By being nice,” Tater said. “Like Bitty is nice. He probably will make pie if you ask.”

“Bitty?”

“He said that is his hockey nickname,” Tater said. “But he never told that to Jack. But then, he never told me Jack is his boyfriend.”

“No?” Marty said.

“I thought maybe he cooks for Jack as a job,” Tater said. “I was just going to pick Jack up for meeting about that event for the kids? And he wasn’t there, but this tiny baker was. He was making protein cookies when I met him.”

“That would make sense for Jack.” Thirdy said.

“They were good,” Tater said. “Not as good as the pie, though.”

“Anyway, I asked Jack how much he was paying Bitty to cook,” Tater said. “I don’t know if he was more surprised by the nickname or that I thought he was paying his boyfriend.”

“And he said he was his boyfriend?” Thirdy said. “Just like that?”

“Just like that,” Tater said. “In front of George too. And all she said was, ‘So you finally made it official?’ and Jack turned pink and smiled and said they did and thank you to George.”

“So did she introduce them or something?” Thirdy said. “Jack said the guy is really fast, and is helping him work on speed this summer.”

“No,” Marty said. “Remember? When Jack brought in those pies, he said he met the guy in a parking lot when he was locked out of his car. A real meet-cute if I ever heard one.”

“Maybe George told him it would be okay for him to date the guy?” Thirdy said.

“Maybe,” Marty said. “If he was worried about team support. But listen, you know we don’t put up with any homophobic shit, right? If this guy is good for Jack, then we’re all for it.”

“I didn’t know Jack liked boys,” Tater said. “He was never really with anyone since I met him, and if he had a date at all, it was always a girl.”

“He has been with guys,” Marty said. “He said one. It’s not something he talks about much, and it’s his business. And we’re not gonna bring it up to anyone else unless he does first, or he says it’s okay, right?”

Then he raised his voice enough for Poots to hear.

“No giving Jack shit for dating a guy, right?” he called.

“‘Course not,” Poots said.

“Giving him shit for dating in general is fine, though,” Marty said. “Otherwise, he’d he think we had a problem with it.”

“I think you’ll like Bitty,” Tater said. “He’s little and cute, and very sweet. I don’t think he’s into Jack for anything except he likes him. And maybe his kitchen. But Jack says he lives in a place where he has nowhere to cook.”

“But your first impression was good?” Thirdy said.

Tater nodded, a serious expression on his face.

“Yes,” he said. “But he looked scared when I was there. Be careful with him. He likes Jack, and he was nice to me. Make sure he feels welcome.”


End file.
